Financial Responsibilities/Insurance Issues 

As with any primary care physician or specialist, consultation fees are due at the time of the visit. The consultations should provide you with a great deal of information about your particular concerns even if surgery is not recommended. The patient must realize that even though a surgeon may recommend against their request for surgery, to arrive at this conclusion requires years of study and training and strong ethics. If surgery is recommended, a second consultation is usually necessary to assure proper communication and provide further assessment of the patient's concerns and desires. This assures a stronger doctor-patient rapport prior to the procedure itself.

Fees for all cosmetic surgery are payable fourteen days in advance of the procedure. This policy assures us that the patient is not undergoing surgery which he or she cannot afford. Several payment options are available and may be discussed at the consultation. Once you have scheduled surgery, we ask that you make every effort to avoid canceling or rescheduling. This allows the best patient care to be delivered. 

If reconstructive surgery is performed to restore form or function, as well as to improve appearance, insurance may defray some or all of the cost. We routinely assist you in filing your claim, and provide copies of necessary documentation at your insurance company's request. It is important to note that the insurance company is responsible to you, not to the doctor's office. Patients, in turn, are responsible for any charges incurred. 

It is not possible, ethical or legal to fill out insurance forms so that it appears the work was done for non-cosmetic purposes if, in fact, it was. 

Insurance payments are frequently based upon average fees charged under average circumstances. If your case proves more or less complex, the fee charged will vary accordingly. 

Because of the ever-changing medical insurance climate, the patient must find out from his or her insurance company if their policy requires a second opinion, precertification for the procedure and/or an overnight hospital stay. 

One must remember that all expenses-including separate fees for operating room, anesthesia, preoperative laboratory tests, and prescriptions-are the responsibility of the patient. 

Finally, the patient is the only party who can work out situations with his or her insurance company. You will be expected to pay the portion of the total bill that the insurance company does not pay.

CareCredit for cosmetic procedures

We’re pleased to offer our patients the CareCredit® card, North America's leading patient payment program. The CareCredit card is just as easy to use as a regular credit card, but it’s designed specifically for your health and beauty needs. Best of all, CareCredit offers convenient payment plans and no hidden costs. You can even use your CareCredit card over and over for follow-up appointments.

Apply now or to learn more about CareCredit, please contact us.